Have you ever seen the city lights at night ... noise pollution right? Well what about all the costs associated with those lights? Think of all those huge parking lots that have giant lights glowing all night long ... why? Now the facility owners and management will tell you it's about security, which is vaguely reasonable. However, they only need to be on when someone is there. IDEA: Add motion sensors to all those light poles so that when someone moves in the area at night, the lights come on, but otherwise it is peacefully dark and quiet. Given the spacing of these poles typically should create a "grid" that would light an area with any activity - security maintained. Plus the cost savings from electrical conservation.Reward: Credit for expressing the idea.
This one's especially for California - I have had this idea for years: As the waste water approaches the treatment plant, have it hit by a ring of laser beams. This will create steam which will turn the turbines to make the electricity. What remains will be germ free but good for topsoil, making soccer fields etc...Reward: Provide a garbage disposal system for Berat, Albania.
Almost everyday I get home and find page after page of ads and coupons in my mailbox. I immediately discard this physical "spam" in the conveniently placed recycle bin, which is full of the same ads that my neighbors in my apartment complex have thrown away.It seems that most people don't even glance at these ads and it is a huge waste of paper (not to mention extremely annoying sifting through to make sure you don't throw any important mail away). I propose initiatives to cut back, if not eliminate, this daily waste of our needed resources. We have spam filters for email. Why not do the same for mail?Reward: Feedback and any progress updates
How many trees are cut down to make newspapers? In an effort to offset this deforestation, all the major newspapers for one day in the year, could add just 1c / 1p or their price. The profit from the action could be pooled together and ploughed straight back into a fund specifically created to plant trees. If all the major newspapers did it, then it would create a level playing ground, price wise, for that one day and no customer would defect to another paper on price. Even if just one newspaper took the initiative for one day, it would help.
The government should pass a law that all new houses must be fitted with solar panels. Costs (typically $3000 or £2000) would be split by the buyer and the house builder. Benefits to the environment would be massive. Imagine whole new housing estates with solar panels on the roofs, net contributors to the country's energy supply.Reward: Free solar panels
